Monster Hunter Now players call out Niantic over Bow & Light Bowgun nerfs

The Monster Hunter Now community has called out Niantic over the upcoming Bow and Light Bowgun nerfs, with many concerned that ranged weapons will no longer be viable in the December update.

The Monster Hunter Now December update is right around the corner, and Niantic has already shared all the exciting new content that will be coming to the game. While the new weapons and monsters will bring plenty of new challenges, the biggest shakeup is weapon balancing. 

Niantic has made huge changes to the game’s arsenal, even going as far as to nerf certain weapons. It seems as though the developers have finally taken aim at Bow and Light Bowgun, leaving the Monster Hunter Now community worried about their viability once the December update goes live. 

Monster Hunter Now Bow & Light Bowgun nerfs leave fans worried

The Bow and Light Bowgun have long been at the forefront of the Monster Hunter Now weapon meta. Not only do they enable players to safely barrage monsters from afar, but they can also continuously target weak points to deal additional damage. 

This is in direct contrast to melee weapons that have to get up close and personal to their foes, which comes with a greater risk. When you combine this with the game’s limited Potion healing system, it’s no wonder ranged weapons have become so popular. 

However, the December update has nerfed the Bow and Light Bowgun’s damage range and non-weak point damage. This essentially means Hunters will need to be a lot more precise with their aiming, which on paper is no bad thing. 

Well, players have taken to social media to point out the problems with these nerfs. “The bow nerf is much more impactful for some monsters, like Diablos,” said one player. 

“For example, you want to hit the wings for maximum damage, but the wings don’t break, only horns and back, so with this nerf you won’t ever be able to break any part of Diablos because you will only do damage on a part that doesn’t break.”

The player went on to explain how this also applies to other monsters who have limited part breaks. “You’re just so limited now to what you can break on a monster. And spread bows will be worthless.”

Other Hunters were also keen to highlight how the game’s gyro aiming isn’t always an option when out hunting. “The real issue here is that I can’t play effectively with a ranged weapon and aim using a gyroscope while walking my dogs compared to just tapping the screen as a melee user to attack and dodge,” commented one Hunter.

“It’s way easier in my opinion to play melee than ranged as far as the difficulty of the actions are in the game. Increasing penalties on distance and accurate aiming (just let me use lock-on then) will hinder my ability to play while moving.”

With the Monster Hunter Now December update right around the corner, time will soon tell just how impactful the Bow and Light Bowgun nerfs are.